Improvement in lawn-mowers



J. BRAUN.

LA'WN-MOWERS.

No. 195,336. Patented Sept.18, 1877.

N-PETERS4 PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASNINGTON D c.

UNITED STATES A'IEN'I GFFICE.

I JOHN BRAUN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAWN-MOWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,336, datedSeptember 18, 1877 application filed June 4, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BRAUN, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Lawn-Mowers, of which thefollowing is a specification:

The object of my invention is to improve the construction and operationof a lawnmower, in a manner too fully described hereinafter to needpreliminary explanation.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a sectional plan view of myimproved lawnmower; and Figs. 2, 3,4, and 5, detached views of parts ofthe same, illustrating different features of the invention.

A and A are the opposite side frames of the machine, connected togetherby suitable bolts, and having bearings for the opposite ends of thedriving-shaft a and cutter-shaft b. The frame A carries a casing, B, inwhich is arranged the usual gearing for transmitting the motion of thedriving-shaft to the cuttershaft. I

D is a handle, which is connected to the machine by means of inclinedbars 11, the upper ends of which are adapted to an inclined recessformed in the under side of the handle, and are firmly clamped thereinby means of a wedge-shaped block, 0, which is caused to bear against theinner sides of the bars (1 by a bolt, e, furnished with a nut, whichbears upon the top of the handle. The latter can thus be readily removedand replaced, when necessary.

The lower ends of the bars d are provided with plates f, pivoted to arod, f, at the rear end of the machine, and having openings adapted topins on arms 9, the latter being also pivoted to the rod f, and havingsetscrews, by which they may be secured in any position which thedesired angle of the handle in respect to the machine may demand.

On the driving-shaft a are three wheels, F, F, and G, the two formerbeing arranged near the ends of the shaft, and the wheel G in thecenter, and the hubs of all three wheels being adapted to collars 12formed on the shaft a, as shown in Fig. 1.

In each of the collars '8 is an opening, in which is arranged to slide aspring-pin, 13', and in the hub of each wheel are formed one or morerecesses, j, one edge of which is inclined and the other abrupt. Intothese recesses the ends of the spring-pins i are caused to project, asseen in Fig. 2, so that as the wheels revolve in the forward directionpointed out by the arrow, the abrupt end of the recess will strike theend of the pin and cause the movement of the same and the consequentturning of the shaft a; but when the wheels revolve in the contrarydirection, the inclined edge of the recess will depress the pin withoutimparting a rotary movement to the same and the shaft.

By forming on the shaft 0. collars z for the reception of thespring-pins t", the size of the latter may be increased, and betterfacilities for their operation afforded than if they were arrangedwithin the limited area aiforded by the shaft itself.

For ordinary field-work the machine would operate without the centraldriving-wheel G, the object of using the same being to adapt the machineto the mowing of narrow borders of lawns, flower-beds, &c., upon whichthe end driving-wheels would not have suflicient hearing.

In order, however, to permit the removal of the central wheel G, whenits use is not desired, I make said wheel in halves, and secure the sametogether by means of bolts h, Fig. 2. By removing these bolts, thehalves can be separated and removed from the shaft, but can be readilyreplaced when again needed.

The bearings I of the cutter-shaft b have openings larger than the saidshaft, which rests upon boxes J, which are made of a segmental form, andare adapted to segmental recesses formed in the lower portion of thebearing 1. Each box J has a lug, m, at one side, and to this lug isadapted a set-screw, m, by operating which the outer end of the box Jmay be raised or lowered. Thus, as the knives are reduced by wear or bysharpening, the set-screws m may be loosened and the shaft of the cutterallowed to descend to the desired extent to compensate for suchreduction.

In order to compensate for wear of the stationary knife P, I secure eachend of the same to a frame, S, pivoted at n to one of the side frames ofthe machine, and forked at the upper end, so as to form two arms, p,each of which is provided with a set-screw, q, abutting against thebearing 1.

By manipulating these set-screws, the frame S may be caused to turn uponits pivot, and the knife P raised or lowered, as desired.

Instead of having the usuai wheels for the support of the front end ofthe machine, 1 place immediately beneath the front edge of the knife P aroller, 8, which forms the sole support for said front end of themachine, and, owing to its position and its small size, permits theefl'ective use of the machine irrespective of any unevenness of theground, as it will closely follow sudden depressions or elevations inthe surface, and thus permit the knives to cut the grass at the sameheight at all points.

The roller 8 is hung at each end to a pivoted arm, t, and its distancefrom the knile P, and, consequently, the height at which the grass iscut, is governed by elevating or depressing the end of each arm t bymeans of a setscrew, 11..

The cutting-wheel consists of the blades T, flanges V at each end. andan intermediate ring, W. The flanges V have on the outside, around thecircumference, as many sockets or lugs 27 as there are blades, the endsof the latter being secured in the lugs by casting the latter around thesame, or by means of rivets, or both, the lugs in either case serving tomaterially stiffen the blades and improve their operation.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the handle D and itsinclined recess, the inclined bars (I, the wed geshaped block e, andconfining-bolt e, as specified.

2. The combination of the rod f, bars 41, carrying the handle and hungloosely to the rod, and the arms 9 connected to the bars 01, hung to therod f, and provided with setscrews, by which they may be secured to thesame, as specified.

3. The combination of the shaft a and its end driving-wheels F F fixedthereon with the central driving-wheel G, so secured to the shaft as tobe readily removable, as specified.

4. The combination of the cutter-shaft b, the hearing I, and theadjustable box J, having a lug, m, and set-screw m.

5. A lawn-mower, supported at its front end upon a roller, 8, extendingacross the machine beneath the edge of the cutting-knife P, asdescribed.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN BRAUN.

Witnesses:

HERMANN Monssmm, HARRY SMITH.

